What can I say? I struggle with outdoor trousers.
I am 6ft2 and very rarely do I find a pair that can reach all the way down to my feet. Therefore, I tend to wear leggings when I go out hiking, sometimes covered by a pair of supremely un-sexy waterproof trousers that keep all but my ankles dry.
So when ACAI asked if I’d like to review a pair of their Indigo Blue Mid-Weight Outdoor Trousers I jumped at the chance. I’d been ogling their Instagram account for some time and wondering whether their super-fashionable hiking trousers would fit me and my extra-long legs.
I received them just in time for a weekend trip to the Lake District in February and had a fun few days testing them out in what can only be described as ‘all weathers’. ACAI also sent me a pair of their Merino Wool Hiking Socks too.
Here’s what I thought:
Fit and Comfort
Usually, I steer clear of skinny or tight-fitting trousers - mainly because they often don’t make it past my thighs in the shop and, if they do, they leave a huge gap around my waist - but these fitted nicely and left no annoying gap.
One minor issue was that they bunched up a little behind the knee when I sat down, this wasn’t too much of a problem though. In fact, they felt as comfortable as a pair of thick leggings but with the structure and sturdiness of a proper pair of trousers. I ordered the 14L and the longer leg-length was more than enough for my stilts (as you can see from the picture above, I could even roll them up a bit).
When you are out in the hills and walking for hours on end, it’s so important that your hiking trousers are comfortable. With this in mind, I think it’s great that ACAI offer a range of different fits to suit everyone. Mine were true to size and perfect for my height, with a good stretch around my squishier parts!
Another bonus was that I didn’t have to unceremoniously haul them up every five minutes like I sometimes have to do with leggings. They stayed put on my waist, even with a heavy backpack and various layers of coats trying to coax them downwards.
Our first hike up to Grisedale Tarn via Raise Beck was a cold and windy one with a little bit of snow thrown in for good measure.
The trousers held up well and kept my legs warm and the socks were incredible. I suffer from terrible circulation to my feet and really felt the difference wearing merino wool (80%) that kept my toes toasty! They were also very comfy and felt like walking on clouds.
I’m a total convert.
Technical
ACAI's trousers live up to their claims for stretchiness, durability and mud/water resistance. At no point when scrambling about in them did I feel like they might rip (even though they were tight-fitting). They stretched with my legs and allowed me complete freedom of movement.
They also didn’t get too scuffed, even when I had to shuffle down a snowy slope on my bottom: this is probably due to their Teflon coating, which not only feels like it would endure much bottom-shuffling on the rocky surfaces of the ghyll we scrambled up, but also makes them water, mud and stain resistant.
After our snowy hike up to Grisedale Tarn, we headed to Catbells for a quick evening walk before the sun went down.
The ACAI trousers were so pristine after a full day of hiking that I decided to take them out again the next day.
Their water and mud resistance was really tested on our second day of hiking as we climbed up to the summit of Raven Crag at Thirlmere on a very wet Saturday.
Although the trousers aren’t (and don’t claim to be) waterproof, they certainly have some water resistance. If you look at other reviews online you’ll see how the water beads on the outer surface of the fabric and runs off - up to a certain point. I did get a little wetter than that because we walked in a downpour but was super impressed with how quickly they dried.
This is important from a safety point of view too - you don’t want to get too wet and cold when in the outdoors for long periods of time.
I really wanted to test out the mud resistance and we were in the perfect place to do so. After some failed attempts to splash mud on myself in a boggy puddle (I only managed to get my hiking boot completely caked!) I asked Pete to help out.
He proceeded to kick mud at me, a source of great enjoyment on his part. As you can see from the picture above it worked very well and went everywhere (including in my eyes and hair) and I got a good amount on the trousers. By the time we got back to the car, the mud had dried and I could brush it off easily.
Score!
Some other bonus points worth mentioning are: these trousers come in a reusable laundry bag - not a plastic bag. As someone who is really conscious of being environmentally-friendly, this was a huge plus point for me. They dry super quickly when you wash them too, which would be great if you were on a multi-day trek (or if, like me, you can’t hang your washing outside at home!).
Final Verdict
I was particularly impressed by the fit and water/mud resistance of the ACAI Mid-Weight Hiking Trousers and the comfort of the Merino Wool Hiking Socks.
It can be so frustrating trying to find outdoor gear that is made especially for women. I cannot count the number of times I’ve walked into an outdoor gear store and been very disappointed to see that all the women’s kit is too small or too pink for me. So when a brand comes along that understands this and creates a comfortable, practical AND fashionable product for women in the outdoors, I think it’s pretty empowering.
I’d been eyeing ACAI for a long time for this reason and wasn’t disappointed when I finally got to try out their products.
In short, you’re probably going to love these trousers as soon as you get them on because they are comfy, practical and they make your legs (and bum) look utterly fabulous.
